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Nasty courgettes?

TriciaBTriciaB Posts: 37
in Fruit & veg
I was disturbed to read a column by Tim Dowling in The Guardian about poisonous courgettes. He says his caused his family to get severe diarrhoea and he then read up about how the plants can be affected and make the courgettes inedible. They were home grown. Has anyone any experience of this please? I have a bumper crop this year and am about to give some to my son's family. He has lots of diet problems due to tummy troubles and courgettes are one of the few veg he can eat. The columnist said the courgettes tasted very bitter so they ate very little but still had horrible problems.

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    there's a thread about them. See if I can find it
    Devon.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/comment/2377759#Comment_2377759
    Devon.
  • TriciaBTriciaB Posts: 37
    Thanks for prompt response Hostafan1. I actually found a post farther down the list about this matter which led me to some information from Mr Fothergills seed company. They gave the details of the batch of seeds which had caused a problem and having searched through my box of seed packets I had sown I found to my relief that I had planted a different variety. Phew! The info also said to test for bitterness just cut the end off the uncooked courgette and put your tongue on it. If affected it would taste very bitter. Just about to do this before starting a batch of roast veg! It's very disturbing that this kind of problem can occur though. Who would have imagined courgettes could be poisonous?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    If you've tested one from each plant and they're ok, then all the rest from that plant will be fine too ... so you'll be fine giving them to family and friends. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • SrockjunkySrockjunky Posts: 13
    Sorry this is a little late.
    So we grew 3 courgette plants from seeds from Thomson and morgan. All from same packet. Planted then out and we have bumper crop off all three plants.
    The fruit off one plant is extremely bitter, as we discovered after cooking it. My wife ate the smallest piece and was pretty ill for 24hrs. I didn't consume any. We cut courgettes from all 3 plants, sliced ends off and did a smell and tip of the tongue test which showed 1 of the 3 plants is affected. They do actually smell wrong as well taste bitter.

    We now do the test with every courgette as we are a bit nervous... 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    The plant with the bitter one pull up and throw away, the other two should be fine, as after taste testing the first the rest will be ok. 
    The packet might have been a mix of this and last year's seeds, as last year we had problems caused by the seed producers. 
  • SrockjunkySrockjunky Posts: 13
    Will do.. I read that same issue can occur with cucumbers and squashes etc... 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    We think the seed producers put squashes and courgettes too near each other causing cross pollination , which will make the poisonous courgette plant seeds. It is something we will have to watch for in the future. 
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